Roofing edge components such as fascia, coping, gutters and gravel stops are commonly used in connection with various forms of roofing systems including low slope membrane roofing systems. These edge components are typically fabricated from sheet metal, and are affixed to a building structure using one or more nailers, cleats, anchor members, clips, brackets, or other fasteners.
It has been found that roofing components at or near the edge regions of a roofing system can be particularly susceptible to wind damage. For example, and without being bound by theory, when subjected to wind loads, the shape profiles of roofing edge components such as fascia, coping, and gravel stops, as well as their proximity to the edge of a structure and/or their exposure to direct wind pressure, are believed to contribute to both lateral forces and upward Bernoulli lift on the roofing components. These forces can sometimes result in detachment of the roofing edge components from the structure, potentially causing damage to the structure and/or more remote property damage or personal injury from impact by the detached edge components.
Because of this problem, standards have been promulgated for measuring the ability of roofing edge components to withstand damage or detachment by wind and for specifying minimum wind resistance characteristics. For example, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Single-Ply Roofing Industry (SPRI) have developed the ANSI/SPRI ES-1 and BSR/SPRI/FM4435 ES-1 Guidelines and Wind Design Standard for Edge Systems Used with Low Slope Roofing Systems, and SPRI GD-1 which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. These standards and guidelines specify certain test criteria, but do not specify particular test equipment to be utilized in determining compliance. These standards have been adopted into the building codes of many jurisdictions and, as a result, it has become increasingly important for manufacturers of building components to have access to test equipment and methods of testing to ensure compliance of their products.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for apparatus and methods for testing wind resistance of building components and testing for compliance with various standards and building codes. It is to the provision of testing apparatus and methods meeting these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed.